Wednesday 30 November 2016

Remembrance Sunday





OLOL was represented at the Remembrance Sunday observance in Ashby by Lewis and Oliver laying a wreath on behalf of the parish.

Sunday 27 November 2016

Pastoral Letter on Vocations




Click here to read Bishop Patrick's Pastoral Letter on Vocations. People throughout our diocese are hearing these words this weekend.

Saturday 26 November 2016

New Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

Bernadette Westmoreland with Catherine and Martin.
Bishop Patrick has commissioned Mrs Ruth Elmore, head teacher at St Charles School, and Mrs Bernadette Westmoreland as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. We thank them both for their willingness to undertake this ministry, and take this opportunity to thank all our Extraordinary Ministers for their contribution to the life of our parish communities.

Ruth Elmore
It is also worth mentioning that six of our musicians from OLOL sang with the Diocesan Choir for the Commissioning Mass.

Thursday 24 November 2016

Newsletter for 26/27 November - Advent 1(A)

Click here to read the latest newsletter.

Our Annual OLOL Advent Gift Day/Coffee Morning is this Saturday in the crypt, 10am - 12noon. Please drop in with your Gift Day envelopes and enjoy refreshments with your fellow parishioners. Feel free to bring friends and family. Spare envelopes will be available if you have lost yours!!

Tuesday 22 November 2016

Thought for the feast day of the Patron Saint of Musicians

Many people of my generation will have read "The Screwtape Letters" by C S Lewis. The book is written in the form of imagined letters from a senior demon, Screwtape, who writes from headquarters to his nephew, Wormwood, who is a tempter on active service on earth. On this feast day of St Cecilia, I have been remembering this vivid passage in which Screwtape tells us how much the forces of darkness detest music and silence, and love noise. I think it has a lot to teach us today...
“My dear Wormwood: Music and silence–how I detest them both! How thankful we should be that ever since our Father entered Hell–though longer ago than humans, reckoning in light years, could express, no square inch of infernal space and no moment of infernal time has been surrendered to either of those abominable forces, but all has been occupied by Noise–Noise, the grand dynamism, the audible expression of all that is exultant, ruthless, and virile–Noise which alone defends us from silly qualms, despairing scruples, and impossible desires. We will make the whole universe a noise in the end. We have already made great strides in this direction as regards the Earth. The melodies and silences of Heaven will be shouted down in the end. But I admit we are not yet loud enough, or anything like it. Research is in progress.”
I can't post any silence. You'll have to find that yourself! But as we pray for all musicians today, here are two contrasting pieces of music for this day, both by English composers:




Sunday 20 November 2016

Close of Jubilee of Mercy


Our Parish and St Charles School are being well represented at Diocesan Celebrations to close the Jubilee of Mercy. On Friday seven pupils and two members of staff attended the Bishop's Mass for schools with four of the pupils serving at the Mass, a wonderful honour. You can still watch the Mass here. There is around an hour of introductory material before the Mass starts.

On Sunday evening, we have two parish representatives and one of our young people attending the Diocesan Mass for the end of the Jubilee Year, the latter with a Loughborough University CathSoc contingent. I gather the students are having cakes with the Bishop!

Thursday 17 November 2016

Thursday 10 November 2016

Friday 4 November 2016

Invitation from Bishop Patrick

As  the  Year of Mercy comes to a close on Christ the King Sunday, I would like to invite all young adults to the Closing Mass at Our Cathedral. I hope that there will be students from all of the universities throughout the diocese, and young adults from as many parishes as possible. So I ask you to be particularly generous in inviting other young adults to travel with you.

I would like the opportunity to meet with you, to spend some time with you and to listen to what you would like to see happen for young adults in our diocese. So please do come along and join me for as little or as much as you are able to. The schedule is as follows:

4pm Cathedral Hall for tea, cake, some presentations from young people and some workshops on how we can build on the legacy for the Year of Mercy.

530pm Moving over to the Cathedral to prepare for Mass

6pm Closing Mass for the Year of Mercy

After Mass, you are again invited to the Cathedral Hall for light refreshments.

I look forward to meeting you, and I would like to thank you for being an active member of your parish or chaplaincy community.

Bishop Patrick

Thursday 3 November 2016

Tuesday 1 November 2016

A new resource from our Bishops

The Catholic Church has 2000 years’ worth of experience of helping people to die in peace and a treasury of resources and reflections on death, dying and eternity that the Bishops of England and Wales would like to open up to everyone. Inspired by the comfort provided by this popular work, they have produced an innovative new digital space on the subject of ‘Dying Well’.

The Art of Dying Well is a new website that offers a helping hand to those grappling with issues around death and dying. Based in the Catholic tradition but open to all, it features real-life stories about the highs and lows of dealing with the final journey. Professionals in palliative care, ethics, chaplaincy and history have informed the site content.

The month of November in the Catholic Church is dedicated to praying for the dead and is the traditional time to visit the graves of loved ones. It is commonly known as the Month of the Dead. We are invited most particularly during this month to remember and pray for our friends and family who have died and for those who have no one to remember them.